Ubuntu for Android Demoed on Motorola Atrix 2

By Sarah Silbert, LAPTOP Staff Writer | Feb 27, 2012 08:37 AM EST

As promised, Canonical is on hand at MWC 2012 to demo Ubuntu for Android. This solution gives Android smartphone owners full access to the Ubuntu operating system when their handset is docked and connected to an external monitor. Best of all, Android applications are still available once the phone is docked into Ubuntu mode, so you can access phone contacts on the desktop.

Canonical demoed the dual-OS solution with a Motorola Atrix 2. The Android integration into the full-desktop OS is especially nifty; the smartphone when paired with Ubuntu is for all intents and purposes a standalone computer. And while the demoed version wasn’t the fastest phone on the block–we noticed a few seconds’ delay between clicking and launching Android apps on the Ubuntu desktop ecosystem–we’re sure the handsets that make it to market will be a few notches better.